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LSP_Kevin

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Everything posted by LSP_Kevin

  1. It sounds like you might be happier somewhere else. Kev
  2. I know the feeling! Good to see this one being worked on. Kev
  3. Personally I think Eduard would be making a mistake to trod the weary path to yet another 109/190/P-51D. With the kits that are out now or coming, those subjects are so well covered in 1/32 that it's going to be difficult to compete. Perhaps a Mk I Spitfire with a full engine done in the style of Tamiya's superkits might find an audience, in lieu of an actual Tamiya kit, and as a foil for Kotare's simpler extant release. But ZM has that base already covered as far as the late Bf 109s are concerned, and a new-tool kit from Kotare is just around the corner as well. We're sorely in need of a quality, modern P-51B, and it's still uncertain whether ZM is really coming out with one - plus, Eduard is obviously unconcerned about that kind of duplication. The Hellcat is in the same boat - nothing to choose from but a legacy kit or a Trumpeter hash, though obviously it wouldn't be as popular as a subject compared to the P-51B. The MiG-21 is a no-brainer, as is the rest of the early MiG family. All that said, if Eduard creates a new kit in 1/32 scale of a subject I'm interested in, irrespective of what's already out there, I will in all likelihood buy it. Kev
  4. Incredible work as always, Peter! Kev
  5. Superb stuff, Iain. I really wish I had the time to learn some CAD myself. Kev
  6. Looks great, Paolo! Some very expert airbrushing there. Kev
  7. Howdy folks, Plenty happening in this week's What's New update. Enjoy! Kev
  8. The main benefit of using gloss or satin colour coats is that it reduces (or eliminates) the need to add a gloss clear coat before decals. If you've ever used Gunze (GSI) aqueous acrylics, for example, they're nearly all gloss or semi-gloss. I also think that gloss paints are more durable, though at least with some brands, they do seem to take longer to cure. They work better for panel line washes too, as well as some other weathering techniques (though others work better over a matte finish). And the final benefit is that I personally find most matte/flat paints a bit too much so, and Tamiya's range in particular can be a bit dead and lifeless. Achieving the flat finish at the end via clear coats gives you much more control over just how flat you want it, and for me, that's a tick or two shy of dead flat. Kev
  9. I'm not even confident I can figure out the instructions! Kev
  10. Thanks, Tom. No Halfords here, but that blue looks a close match to the one I need for the engines on the Welsh 757: Of course, I've got to sort out the engines first! Kev
  11. Looking good, Dan. I can't believe how quickly you're putting this together! Kev
  12. I wish it was that simple, Tom! Adding more plastic at the rear will only exacerbate the already problematic upward tilt of the engines. It's difficult to see the problem without showing the parts in context, but impossible to photograph this arrangement without 4 sets of hands! But basically, if I attempt to match the forward contour of the pylons to the wings, then the engines end up with a nearly 30° upward tilt, with the pylon pointing towards the floor at a reciprocal angle. And if I try to match the rear contours, they're just about flat, but the wing leading edge curves up and away from the flat pylon by about 2mm. If I average them out by getting the middle section lined up, then I end up with smaller versions of both problems. Building the rear of the pylon up to meet the wing in that scenario would make it comically large. I figure the kit pylon is already shaped to handle those contours, and will allow me to focus on getting the forward part sorted out. If I can manage to tape it all together so it holds in place long enough, I'll try to snap some photos. Of course, I could cut and swap the entire pylon from each engine, but if I screw that up, I'm left without any engines at all! Anyway, there's still time before I commit to anything. Kev
  13. Lovely work, Tom! Got a few of these in the stash myself. What did you use for the blue on the engines? Kev
  14. I use them occasionally, but ironically mostly for brush painting! However, my one bottle of old-school Model Master Olive Drab has seen me through two 1/35 truck builds and a Hasegawa 1/32 Mustang so far! Must get back to that one... Kev
  15. I've started working on the resin engines from Bra.Z, and I have say that they're a bit underwhelming. They're old-school resin products with soft details and some pretty substantial casting blocks: I've already removed them from the pair on the right. To be fair, this set has been around for a very long time now, and probably can be forgiven for not being up to today's standards. It's just a shame that they were never improved or redone as 3D parts. The disappointment continues with the fit of the two components, which is average at best, and actually varies between the two sets. I did manage to get them together though, with the help of some black CA: And here they are after the joins were taped off and vigorously sanded back: The most frustrating discovery, however, is that the moulded-on pylons have no hope of mating to the Welsh Models wing: The kit part is on the left, and shows the extent of the curvature required for even a moderate fit. I have two options here: ditch the Bra.Z parts and just go with the equally underwhelming kit times, or mix'n'match the two by using the rear section of the kit pylon to replace the flat Bra.Z part. I'm leaning towards the latter, mainly because I paid for these engines, and I'm determined not to have wasted my money! I predict more filling and sanding in my future... Kev
  16. Thanks, Ron. That's Minicraft for you! Kev
  17. If you're using Tamiya flat acrylics, one of the best things you can do is add a drop or two of X-22 gloss varnish to your airbrushing mix. This not only smooths out the finished result nicely - making it much more suitable for decals without a gloss coat underneath them - but also makes the finish much more durable. The smoother you can get your base colours, the less likely it is you'll need a gloss coat over them before applying decals, saving you at least one step, as well as few layers of paint build-up overall. Kev
  18. I've never found that stuff to work all that well, to be honest. I'm using it again on the white metal landing gear of the Welsh 757, but I'm not expecting the results to be any better than I've had previously. Mind you, most of my previous poor experiences with it have involved slick PE, rather than rough white metal, so you never know. I'm really only using it because I still have half a bottle of it! Kev
  19. Excellent work! And now the subject of this week's banner image on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/largescaleplanes Kev
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